38 CFR §21.7138

Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗

In addition to basic educational assistance, a veteran or servicemember who is eligible for supplemental educational assistance and entitled to it shall be paid supplemental educational assistance at the rate described in this section unless a lesser rate is required by § 21.7139 of this part.

(a)Rates for veterans.
1. (1)Except for a veteran pursuing apprenticeship or other on-job training, the rate of supplemental educational assistance payable to a veteran is at least the rate stated in this table.
2. (2)For a veteran pursuing apprenticeship or other on-job training the rate of supplemental educational assistance payable to a veteran is as provided in this table.
(b)Increase in supplemental educational assistance rates (“kicker”). The Secretary concerned may increase the amount of supplemental educational assistance payable to an individual who has a skill or specialty which the Secretary concerned designates as having a critical shortage of personnel or for which it is difficult to recruit. The amount of the increase is set by the Secretary concerned, but—
1. (1)For an individual other than one pursuing an apprenticeship or other on-job training or cooperative training it may not exceed—
  1. (i)$300 per month for full-time training.
  2. (ii)$225 per month for three-quarter-time training,
  3. (iii)$150 per month for one-half-time training and for training which is less than one-half-time, but more than one-quarter-time, or
  4. (iv)$75 per month for one-quarter-time training or less.
2. (2)For an individual pursuing an apprenticeship or other on-job training it may not exceed—
  1. (i)$225 per month for the first six months of training,
  2. (ii)$165 per month for the second six months of training, and
  3. (iii)$105 per month for the remaining months of training.
3. (3)For an individual pursuing cooperative training, it may not exceed $240 per month.
(c)Rates of supplemental educational assistance for less than one-half-time training and for servicemembers. The monthly rate of supplemental educational assistance payable to a veteran who is training less than half-time or to a servicemember is determined as follows:
1. (1)The monthly rate of the veteran's or servicemember's basic educational assistance determined as provided in §§ 21.7136(e) and 21.7137(b), (c) and (d) of this part.
2. (2)If the monthly rate of basic educational assistance equals or is greater than the monthly rate of the cost of the course, no supplemental educational assistance is payable.
3. (3)If the monthly rate of basic educational assistance is less than monthly rate of the cost of the course, the monthly rate of supplemental educational assistance is the lesser of—
  1. (i)The monthly rate provided in paragraph (a) of this section, plus the monthly rate provided in paragraph (b) of this section, if appropriate, or
  2. (ii)The difference between the monthly rate of the cost of the course and the monthly rate of the veteran's or servicemember's basic educational assistance.